Pneumatic flexible coupling



INVENTOR ATTORN EYS June 7, 1938. R. H. LIMPP PNUMATIC FLEXIBLE COUPLING Filed July 21, 1956 Patented June 7,n 1938 UNITED STATES PATENr OFFICE This invention relates to shaft couplings and has for the primary object the provision of an eilicient and inexpensive device of this character which will readily ilex to compensate for mis alignment between shafts connected by said de` vice and also will absorb shocks to prevent shock from being transmitted from one shaftto the other shaft.

With these and other objects in View, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating shafts of devices connected by a coupling constructed in accordance with my invention. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the coupling.A

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modiiled form of my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a coupling for connecting shafts 2 and 3 of devices 4 and 5. The device 4 may be in the form of an engine and the devic 5 may be 30 in the form of a compressor driven by theA engine through the couplingk of the shafts 2 and 3 together. In many instances, the devices 4 and 5 or the shafts 2 and 3 thereof may not exactly align and in order to compensate for the misalignment the coupling I is capable'of flexation, also will absorb shocks such as power impulses from the device 4 and prevent them from being transmitted to the device i.

The coupling I consists vof wheels 6 and 1 keyed or otherwise secured to the shafts 2 and 3. Each wheel includes a iianged felly 3 for retaining thereon a pneumatic tire '9 which includes the usual outer shoe and the inflatable inner tube. Contacting the treads of the shoes 5 of the 'tires 9 is an annular metallic band I0 having the opposite edges thereof curved, as shown at Il. "I'he band I0 is applied to the tires 9 when the latter are deflated so that when such tires are inflated a tight contact will be had between the l0 tires and the band so that the tire of the wheel l' will impart`driving force from the shaft 2 to the band and the latter in turn imparts said driving force to the tiregof the wheel I secured to the shaft 3. 'I'he tire will permit a flexing of the cou- 15 pling besides will act to absorb shocks.

Referring to my modified form of invention a single tire I2 is employed and a wheel I3 has the tire mounted thereon and secured to the shaft 2 while the shaft 3 has secured thereto a wheel 20 I4 which includes an annular band I5.v The band l I! has frictional contact with the tread of the l tire I2.

kHaving described the invention, I claim;

A coupling comprising a pair of opposed wheel members, each provided with hub portions, a rim on each hub, an inflatable annulus oneach rim, and a cylindrical band snugly engaging the vperipheries of said inatable annuli and provided with integral reduced opposite end portions, said reduced end portions having the smallest interior `diameter thereof of a size sufficient to hold said band against longitudinal movement relative to the axes of said wheels while permitting easy removal of said inflatable annuli u'pon deflation 35 thereof, said band being removable axially of said wheel members upon deflation of said annuli to thereby uncouple said wheel members.

' RUFUS H. LIMPP. 

